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How can i fatten my Bunny up?

Mad_cat_rabbit

Warren Scout
My little grey lop Smudge is very skinny compared to the other 3.
He's a very fussy eater, would like him to be a similar weight to the others. Am very paranoid in case he got ill and wouldn't have the necessary body weight to survive.

He's a little timid compared to the other ones, but OMG can he run, it usually takes 30mins to catch him at night to put him to bed :lol:

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It might be worth popping him to the Vet’s for a quick check over just to make sure there is no physical reasons why he is under weight.

Oats are good for putting weight on Rabbits. So too are feeding small amounts of banana. Do introduce any new food slowly over a period of a week to ten days.

Does he eat lots of Hay? Changing to Timothy hay may be an option. Some Rabbits find it more palatable then normal meadow hay. You could also supplement his diet with one of the many dried grasses on the market if he doesn’t have access to fresh grass in a garden.

Does he live with a friend? If so it may be worth checking that his friend isn't scoffing all the food and leaving little for Smudge.

Louise
 
hi there!
hehe what a cutey! What kinda breed is your bun? How old?
Some smaller breeds will take their time to grow. Have patience, I think he is rather cute in that long grass. hehe I don't think small in sizes are anything to worry about, its just his body shape. If you push him to eat too much, it could cause harm in his food track and lead to illnesses. Rabbits cannot be suddenly introduced to too much foods, even if he is anerexic.
Unless, he stops eating dramatically, there is nothing to worry about. If you suspect he is not eating at all, then there might be a problem with commonly hairballs. Unlimited amounts of hay can be given to him daily to prevent hairball clogging and possibly add on a few pounds. :wink:
 
Smudge is 2 years old (an estimate as he was from rescue). He had the once over from the vet and every thing was fine.

He won't eat hay, I've tried him on various types, all he does is throw it around his hutch :roll:

The lady who had him first fed him cat biscuits (very strange and worrying). He gets a mixed dry food and has access to lots of fresh grass and usually my rose bushes as well :wink:
He picks at any green veggies I give him, but have not tried oats or banana yet.
 
yeah hay is definitely a good food source for a healthy diet, which should be the first thing you aim for in preventing diseases. Try your best to get him to eat his hay. Mix in grass with it if you have to. Or try different varieties of hay mixtures. Alfalfa hay is usually used for younger bunnies to build their organs and body fat,etc. It is not recommended for most adult rabbits because it makes them gain unnecessary weight. In your case, an underweight 2 year old may be acceptable to the alfalfa hay diet for a short period of time, until you think he is of normal size. I agree that un-cooked Oats in the pellet bowl can attract their appetite if Smudge is not eating much of the pellets. Banana and most fruits are a good idea in gaining weight also, However the sugar content may cause many problems later in life. So give them in very small amounts once to three times a week. Your bunny may like the "treat" but don't assume it is healthy.
 
He's taken a shine to bunny chocolate drops (I know this is bad for him), he even goes into the other hutches to steal them from the other 3 :lol:

I am not worried as I was earlier, he seems to eat more grass than the others when free ranging in the garden, and he does a heck of a lot of running around like a madman compared to the others, so he might be burning off his fat quicker.

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Harry the gorgeous
 
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